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Recipe ReDux: One-Pot Mushroom Veggie Rice [sponsored]
My study hibernation has been going as well as can be expected. In my efforts to remedy the fact that we combined our refrigerators/freezers and are now constantly playing Tetris with our stores of food, I’ve been doing a lot of kitchen experiments lately. What’s doubly awesome about the rice creations is that there’s almost no effort involved. (This has been working out really well because some days, I feel guilty about even taking a break to eat.)
“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Mushroom Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”
I’ve been exclusively scouting Kroger’s manager’s specials because times are tough and life is rough, and I happened upon two boxes of mushrooms (a cremini/oyster/shiitake blend) that would go perfectly with my mission! In they went!
While we’re still on the topic of mushrooms, if you’d like a chance to win $5000 (that’d pay for 10% a year of med school for me!), go enter your recipe to The Mushroom Council’s Swap It or Top It contest!
One-Pot Mushroom Veggie Rice
Ingredients:
-3 cups short-grain brown rice
-1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
-2 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp mirin
-drizzle sesame oil
-2 4 oz. boxes cremini, shiitake + oyster mushroom blend
-2 eggs
-1/3 bag frozen vegetable soup mix (okra, peppers, corn, onion, carrots, peas)
-freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-dash of sea salt
Instructions:
1) Rinse off the rice and fill it up to the 3-cup mark with water (or vegetable broth, if you so desire).
2) Add all other ingredients into the pot and give it a little mix.
3) Press start!
4) After rice is finished cooking, crack eggs over the cooked rice and mix. Cover it again and let stand for another 5 minutes so the eggs can cook.
Before pushing start. :O You can mix it around a tiny bit if you’d like! I think this is tad blurry because I was super hungry and assumed it was a clear photo. My apologies. :[
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux posts only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
Recipe ReDux: Pumpkin Pistachio Kale Fried Rice
The theme for April 2014 is…
Treasured Cookware: Share a story of classic cookware – and a healthy recipe to go with it. Some of us will be celebrating Mother’s Day next month (May 11,) but it’s more than once a year that many of us cook with a pan, a wooden spoon or another piece of cookware passed on to us from the kitchens of our favorite relatives. Let’s see what you can cook up with your treasured kitchen tool!
I had slight difficulty with this one, mostly because my family doesn’t do all that much cooking. My dad once gave me a bowl of mustard pasta (yes, really) and I made the mistake of believing my mom.
(dad): Try it!
F: (sniffs the pot of pasta) Why does it smell kinda…strange…?
(dad): Just try some!
F: Did you have any yet?
(mom): Yeah, I had a bowl of it. It was fine.
F: Well, okay then.
In case you were wondering, I now have trust issues. I forgot that my mom doesn’t love and adore food the way I do, and pretty much only eats because it’s necessary to survive. ;_;
This entire back story is really just to explain that there isn’t actually a piece of classic cookware that’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. The one constant I can consistently recall (which may or may not have to do with the fact that I’m Asian) though is our rice cooker! Since I’m currently located across the country from my family, I’m obviously not using the same one they have, but I absolutely adore this thing. <3 I’ve used it for all kinds of kitchen experiments in the past 1.5-ish years–for instance, to bake cakes for friends’ birthdays and to cook quinoa.
The recipe is adapted from here! One look at that picture and there was pretty much no way I could go on without trying to make it. The substitutions were done based on my budget/what I already had in my apartment, and it didn’t come out looking anywhere near as pretty as the recipe I modified it from, but people liked it a lot! It’s been ages since we’ve been able to do a potluck (med school got in the way), so I gathered everyone at my place over the weekend and we had a mega-feast! It’s been a long, long year, so it was great to be able to relax for an evening while enjoying great food and company. :]
Pumpkin Pistachio Kale Fried Rice with Maple Tofu Cubes
Ingredients:
-4 cups brown rice (cooked)
-1/2 cup raw pistachios, shelled
-1/2 small sweet onion, diced
-3 cups kale, chopped (thick stems removed)
-1 grapefruit (juice + pulp)
-1 cup pumpkin puree
-sea salt, to taste
-black pepper, to taste
-pinch of cayenne pepper
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp EVOO
-2 tsp honey (can sub with maple syrup to make it vegan!)
-1 tsp ground ginger
-1 cup firm tofu, cubed
Instructions:
1) Cook rice in rice cooker. (Preferably day-old rice.)
2) Heat 1-2 tsp EVOO in a skillet (or ginormous pot) over high heat. Add the chopped onion + saute for 1-2 minutes. Add pistachio nuts and saute for another minute until they’re toasted.
3) Add in another tsp of EVOO and add rice, pumpkin, salt, pepper, grapefruit, garlic and spices. Toss and saute so that pumpkin distributes evenly through the rice.
5) Add grapefruit juice to hydrate the pan and ingredients. Saute until it absorbs. Transfer to large bowl.
6) Add tofu cubes to skillet Drizzle honey and ground ginger over tofu cubes. Add a bit of salt and pepper.
7) Saute on high and toss it with the rice until just combined.
8) Serve hot!
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux Contest entries only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
This was the view from our “front porch!” WV paints its sunsets as though the sky’s on fire. My phone camera doesn’t do it justice, but it’s still beautiful all the same. <3
This was all but three of us! (One’s taking the picture and two of em’ came later.)
Choplets with Hoisin or Teriyaki Sauce
My apologies in advance because you’re gonna be seeing this picture twice. :O This is mostly because on their own, choplets really don’t look all that appetizing, so they’ve been drizzled with “hoisin” dressing and paired with yet another variation of pineapple fried rice. Don’t hate. Choplet recipe was from Heidi (as most of my recipes are these days! :O!!) and the sauce recipes were from Chloe’s Kitchen.
These are good as a meat substitute for stir-fry, sandwiches, stews, etc. :]
Choplets
(Pictured on the right with vegan hoisin sauce!)
Ingredients:
(Dough)
-2 1/2 cups gluten
-1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
-1 tsp salt
-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
-2 cups water
(Broth)
-2 celery stalks, diced
-1 onion, diced
-2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp ginger
-1 tsp garlic
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-2 tbsp molasses
-6 cups water
Instructions:
1) (Broth) Saute the celery + onion, then add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
2) (Dough) Sift dry ingredients together, then add in the water.
3) Mix together quickly to avoid dry clumps (it clumps together very quickly!). Knead dough for a minute to make it tougher and more elastic.
4) Form into a log and slice “rounds” off the log. Place them into the boiling broth.
5) Cover and reduce broth to simmer. Cook for 1 hour. (They will look like ginormous chicken pieces, but don’t worry, they’ll shrink back down when they’ve cooled down!)
6) Drain and serve in a stir-fry, stew, sandwich, etc.
Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients:
-4 tbsp soy sauce
-2 tbsp peanut butter
-1 tbsp sugar or honey
-2 tsp vinegar
-2 tsp sesame oil or 1 tbsp tahini
-hot +/or black pepper, to taste
Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup water
-3 tbsp soy sauce
-1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
-1 clove garlic, minced
-2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
-1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
Recipe ReDux: Walnut Oat Patties
Less than 2 weeks ago, I got to partake in a cooking class sponsored by Greenbrier Better Living Center & Thrift Store (also known as the thrift shop my church runs). The goal was to teach the community that healthy foods could indeed be delicious, and didn’t necessarily have to be extremely complicated/expensive to make. It’s currently being taught by Heidi, one of the best cooks at my church.* She taught us how to make 17 different recipes within 2.5 hours. This included giving us samples of all of them. And raffles. :O D-damn. I believe the next class is going to be covering healthy/healthier desserts! :]
*This is saying a lot, because everything, and I mean everything, I have consumed there thus far [1.5 years and counting] has been delicious. :O She has 6 children (ages 1-11) and I’m jealous of what they get to eat each day…but it’s cool, because that’s what my Saturdays are for. I usually reserve Saturday as my “cheat day” and go back for thirds or fourths; if anyone could convert me into eating a vegetarian/vegan diet, they’d have the highest success rate.
In any case, this is my very first contribution to the Recipe ReDux group! I hope it goes well because I’m not going to be around until about a week after this to see whether or not I posted it correctly. (Hooray for the “schedule post” option!)
The theme for March 2014 is…
A Play on Patties : While St. Patty’s Day will be over by the time The Recipe ReDux rolls around this month, we’re celebrating the ‘patty’ all month long. We’ve seen images of stacked patties go crazy on food photo sharing sites like HealthyAperture.com; so stack ‘em up! Think healthy tuna burgers, potato patties, or veggie stacks.
The awesome thing about this recipe is that it’s so darn versatile. If you want to add a spicy kick to it, chop up a jalapeno and throw it in. Mix up the spices and you have a whole different patty to work with. You could also top it with all kinds of different sauces. :] Hope you enjoy!
Walnut Oat Patties
Ingredients:
-2 cups water + 1 3/4 cups water
-1 cup walnuts
-1/4 cup soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s Aminos
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tbsp flax seed
-1 tbsp garlic powder
-1 tbsp basil
-1 tbsp oregano
-1 tsp coriander
-1 tsp liquid smoke (hickory)
-black pepper or hot pepper (optional)
-4 cups oats
Instructions:
1) Blend 2 cups of water + the next 10 ingredients (basically everything except the oats). The mixture doesn’t have to be smooth.
2) Pour blender contents into saucepan and use remaining 2 cups of water to rinse the rest of the blender contents into the saucepan.
3) Bring mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally since nuts scorch easily.
4) Add oats. Stir, then remove from heat.
5) Let cool. Preheat oven to 350.
6) Use a wide-mouth canning ring to fill/shape patties on a greased baking sheet.
7) Bake for 20 minutes on each side.
These seem to taste best when they’re made a day in advance and then reheated the following day before serving. The flavors mellow out and it’s delicious. :D
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux Contest entries only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
Garden Ricotta Lasagna
My church’s cooking class was just this past Monday! Heidi showed us how to make…17 different recipes in under 2 hours (complete with samples of everything). She is a magical being.
The class was sponsored by the Greenbrier Better Living Center & Thrift Shop that my church runs, since they want to promote healthier eating habits/show the community that healthy food can indeed be delicious and doesn’t necessarily have to be super complicated/expensive. There were also raffles throughout for the cookbook that a lot of the recipes were from, loaves of freshly baked homemade bread, and various healthier and/or vegan substitutes (e.g. tofutti cream cheese, tofutti sour cream, Earth Balance, organic tempeh). :] Although I didn’t win anything, I was filled up with delicious food and Vicki made sure that I packed as many plates as I wanted home with me. I love them. <3
The first recipe I’m going to share is a super delicious lasagna! This apparently tastes even more amazing when topped with cashew cream sauce (will share that one of these days), but…kinda forgot about it. :O I’ll have to try it again sometime. The Garden Ricotta part is from page 136 of Chloe’s Kitchen. Heidi subbed in her own marinara recipe for it though!
Garden Ricotta Lasagna
Ingredients:
~16 lasagna noodles
(Garden Ricotta)
-2 tbsp EVOO
-1 onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1 14-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained
-2 tbsp lemon juice (~juice of 1 lemon)
-1 1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-1 tbsp white miso paste
-3 cups fresh basil
-5 oz. baby spinach
(Marinara Sauce)
-28 oz. crushed tomatoes
-1/2 cup tomato paste
-1/2 cup water
-1 1/2 tsp onion powder
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp basil
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/8 tsp black pepper
-2 tsp sugar
-1 dash cayenne pepper
-2 tbsp EVOO
-1 onion
-2-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1 large carrot, grated or finely chopped
Instructions:
1) (Garden Ricotta) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat + saute onions until soft. Remove from heat.
2) In the food processor, combine onions, garlic, tofu, lemon juice, salt, pepper + miso paste. Pulse until mixture is almost smooth, but still has some texture. Add basil + spinach and pulse a few more times to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3) Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a 9×13-in. pan.
4) (Marinara) Mix + warm the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste + water while assembling spices. Mix all the spices together and add it to the warming tomato sauce.
5) Saute onion, celery + carrot in EVOO and add it to the simmering sauce. If you want a smoother sauce, blend the veggies before adding them to the sauce.
6) (Assembly) Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles across the pan. Spread 1/2 the Garden Ricotta over the noodles. Layer 1/2 the spinach over the Garden ricotta and arrange 4 more noodles on top.
7) Spread another layer of sauce over the noodles and arrange 4 more noodles on top.
8) Top with another layer of sauce, the remaining Garden Ricotta + spinach and 4 more noodles. Top with remaining sauce. (You might have some noodles left over.)
9) Cover baking pan with foil and bake for ~45 minutes, or until noodles are cooked + sauce is hot and bubbling.
10) Remove from oven + let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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